Blackmon & Brothers Making Most Of Time In The Big Leagues

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DENVER (CBS4) – The Colorado Rockies have made numerous changes since the start of the season. They acquired players like Jose Lopez and Felipe Paulino and they are now gone. Young players Charlie Blackmon, an outfielder, and reliever Rex Brothers are in and the two sure haven’t played like raw rookies.

When Brothers made his Major League debut against the San Diego Padres, he looked like a veteran. In his mind, however, he felt like a rookie.

“Any emotion you can think of is going through your body. Probably, it’s a nervous-anxious, and then when I get out there it’s more of an adrenaline rush,” Brothers said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Brothers had fun perhaps because he was so prepared, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

“I read a book in college that was talking about a golfer who steps up in front of the tee box and there’s water in front of the hole, and he thinks, ‘Well don’t hit it in the water.’ And that’s obviously where it’s going to go. But if you think about hitting it 2 feet from the pin, that’s what’s going to happen,” Brothers said.

Brothers said he pushes the negative thoughts out and thinks about his spot.

The next night Charlie Blackmon made his Major League debut. He admitted that his heart was pumping.

“I was so nervous and anxious and excited. I just wanted to get that first swing out of the way and just prove to myself that it is the same game that I’ve been playing my whole life,” Blackmon said. “It was different to be out there with the upper deck and the fans and that atmosphere is just completely different … it threw me out of my comfort zone a little bit.”

Brothers is a fire-balling lefty the Rockies believe can someday be a closer. He’s smart enough to be learning everything he can from present closer, Huston Street.

“You learn through mistakes, really. I’ve always been told the good ones learn from their mistakes and the great ones learn from others people’s mistakes,” Street said. “Hopefully he can learn from my mistakes and I’m happy to help him because you see a lot there, you see a big future for him and it’s exciting to finally be in a position where I feel like I can help somebody.”

Blackmon has fit in quite nicely as the everyday left fielder, and he’s trying to absorb as much as he can. And who better to learn the Major League ropes from than a veteran like Jason Giambi?

“I keep saying just keep doing the same things you were doing down there. He’s a great young hitter, he’s very patient at the plate, can hit the ball the other way and run very well, and he plays a great outfield,” Giambi said. “So he’s adapted very quickly to the big leagues taking big time at-bats for us already.”

Giambi said he’s gone out of his way to talk to him about some of the pitching he hasn’t seen in the big leagues.

Both players have done very well since being called up.

“Every new experience, it’s like eyes wide open, ‘I didn’t know it could be this good,'” Blackmon said.